‘She glowed’: Hayden Panettiere’s on-screen dad shares heartwarming tribute after her death

Hayden Panettiere’s on-screen dad from Heroes has shared an incredibly emotional tribute following her death, remembering the actor as a “tiny colossus” who brought joy everywhere she went.

Panettiere died aged 36 on 16th August after suffering a cardiac arrest at an apartment in Greenville, South Carolina.

Via NBC

Jack Coleman, who played her father Noah Bennet in Heroes, took to Instagram to remember his former co-star. The NBC series ran from 2006 until 2010, with Coleman revealing that Panettiere had called him “daddio” almost from the moment they first met on set 20 years ago.

“I’ve loved Hayden since day one of the pilot of Heroes, 20 years ago, when she introduced herself by shouting “daddy” and throwing her arms around me. From that day on, she called me daddio. She was Haydini, because she was a magician,” he wrote.

Coleman went on to describe exactly what made Panettiere so special to everyone working on the show, praising her talent, personality and unmistakable smile.

“She brought joy to the set and a photographic memory. Everyone was in awe of her ability to bring it every take. A tiny colossus who loved to laugh. We laughed a lot. That shining face, that megawatt smile, that wasn’t just for the camera. That was her. She glowed.”

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Jack Coleman (@thejackcoleman)

His tribute also touched on the intense scrutiny Panettiere faced from paparazzi when she was still a teenager. Coleman described their treatment of her as predatory, while expressing his sadness and anger over what happened to her.

“I love you, Hayden. I’ll miss you. I’m so sorry you suffered. I’ll remember how happy you were on set and on the European press tour; how you championed Tess when she was being bullied; your commitment to animal welfare and the courage to put yourself in harm’s way to protect them,” he continued. “I only wish you had been given that same protection.”

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Coleman’s daughter Tess, who he referenced in the tribute, also left a touching comment about Panettiere and the impact she had on her.

“I’ll always remember the way she made me feel seen, heard, and protected, three things that meant everything at that age. She championed other people in a way she so often wasn’t championed herself. That’s one of the rarest qualities a person can have, and it’s something I’ll never forget.”

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Hayden Panettiere (@haydenpanettiere)

Panettiere had previously been open about the pressures she experienced as a young actor, particularly the attention from paparazzi.

In her memoir This Is Me, she wrote: “Outside of work, I was dealing with paparazzi for the first time and my freedom being taken away, basically overnight.”

She also spoke about the disturbing questions photographers would shout at her during an appearance on Red Table Talk.

“Paparazzi would yell at me when I was younger, ‘When are you gonna get your first DUI?’ and it was always, ‘When are you gonna fall on your face and get into alcohol and drugs?

“It was like, that was always gonna happen.”

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Featured image via Instagram